Tank trailer



A ril 7, 1936. H. H. ROBINSON 2,036,607

TTTTTTT ILER Filed July 11, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 155M010 fl/v oa/mso/v ATTORNEYS.

April 7, 1936.

H. H. ROBINSON TANKTRAILER Fild. July 11, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5% M ATTORNEYS.

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3 0 L w @v x o .3 Q fix \N M g 1 1 @N MW. w %w Q, Q g Q 3 \n N Patented Apr. 7, 1936 PATENT OFFICE TANK TRAILER Harold H. Robinson,

Coral Gables, Fla, assignor to Curtiss Aerocar. Company,

Inc., Coral Gables,

Fla., a corporation of Florida w; Application July 11, 1933, Serial No. 679,883

Claims.

This invention relates to a trailer construction designed for the transportation of liquids such as gasoline, oil, water and the like. Trailers for this purpose when constructed in the conventional manner are costly to build and operate. Because of their great weight they are destructive of the roads and, when driven at high speeds, constitute a traflic hazard.

It is one object of my invention to provide a tank trailer construction by which the weight may be greatly reduced while permitting a substantially corresponding increase in the load carried and at the same time securing a decrease in construction costs, greater mobility and safety. These and other and further objects and advantages will be made apparent in the following specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a tank trailer constructed according to'my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view;

Fig. 3 is a rear end view;

Fig. 4;,is a sectional view substantially on line ii-l of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. i; and

Fig. 6 is a-sectional 6-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, i indicates the rear end of a tow car which may be of any suitable type and upon which is mounted a fifth wheel coupler 2, preferably such as, is shown and described in detail in copending application Serial No. 283,881, filed June 8, 1928, upon which Patent 1,916,967 issued July 4, 1933. With respect to view substantially on line this coupling device, it is sufiicient here to point out that the articulated connection between the vehicles is made at the center of a wheel 2 provided at its periphery with a pneumatic tire or other equivalent annular cushion by which the wheel is secured to the tow car so that shocks due to-the draft action are cushioned in all angular positions of the vehicles. The trailer body comprises a tank 5 oval in cross section. The forward end of the body is formed in the shape of a prow I terminating in a post I, the lower end of which engages in the hub of wheel 3. The rear end of tank 5 is supported by wheels I through spaced saddle plates "hich are formed of steel plate curved to conform to the curvature of the bottom of tank 8 and welded or riveted thereto by rivets ll.

Welded to each end of the saddle plates. 2 at H are spring hanger supports l2, to which are riveted spring hangers II by rivets ll. Between hangers IS on each side of the tank are connected leaf springs ii, the forward end of each spring being connected directly to its hanger while the rear end is connected to the hanger (Cl. 28H) by means of a shackle It. From the springs the load is transmitted to the axle ll of wheels 8 by any of the usual and well known methods. The tank body 5, as shown, is formed of two cylindrical shells and2l, provided with an internal frame structure best shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This frame as shown, comprises four rectangular spaced T irons, the upper pair of which are designated by the reference characters 22 and the lower pair by the reference characters 23. These T irons extend into the prow portion 5 and are connected to the post I as will later be more fully described.

Within shell 2il-2i, the irons 22 and 23 are arranged with their heads 25 positioned to engage against the inside surface of the shell. The irons are held in position and cross braced by surge plate 21 and partition plate 28 which are so positioned as to be in vertical alignment with saddle plates 9. Plate 28 liquid. The division of the also facilitates delivery of well as adding to the starying of two kinds of tank into two parts desired quantities as bility. Plate members in the same manner as plate 28 is provided with openings 30 which permit free pas sage of the fluid from one side of the plate to the other, but provide sufllcient constriction to prevent the formation of dangerous surges.

Plates 2'! and 29 are oval in outline to conform to the interor of the tank shell 20, and are provided with suitable slits or openings adjacent their edges to permit the passage of members 22 and 23, to which the plates are welded. Additional stiffness is given to the plates 21 and 22 by curved steel angle segments 3! having one flange welded to the plates with the other flange positioned to engage the inner side of the shell 20-2 I.

formation, as shown in Fig. 5, and welded to plates 21 and 22 and frame members 22 and 23. The rear and forward ends of the tank are closed by flanged heads heads also act as further cross bracing for the frame. Rear head is welded at 34 in abutting relationship to the ends of members 22 and 22. Forward head 36 is provided with slits or openings 49 for the passage of members prow portion of the trailer and is welded to said members at these openings. It will be seen that the welding together of the frame, including members 22 and 23, and 33, and heads 25 and 26 may all be accomplished prior to enclosing the frame in shell sec tions 29-2| which may be done by forcing the shells endwise over the frame by heavy pressure. Owing to the production of deleterious gases during welding it is almost impossible to accomplish serves to divide the tank into two compartments permitting the car- 21 which is secured to the frame 35 and 36 respectively, which 22 and 23 into the plates 21 and 28, angles 2t ii as at 81. 7 similarly weld-ed at 38 to head I. and nose shell II at II, and these welded Joints are preferably covered by bands II lightly welded to the shell; The rear end of shell 2| is welded to head ll etfl'.

Thetankisprovided withmanholes of usual type through which the compartments of the tank may be filled, and piping 4| leading to meter 42 havirg outlets I! are provided for ng the contents of the tank. Protection fro-m damage through rear end collision is afforded by a bumper welded to channel L'on supports ll whichrin turn are welded to spring hanger supports I! (Fig. 5).

Within thenose portion the irom 22 and 28 g are oflset inwardly as indicated at II and are then'twisted to bring their heads 2! into horizontal panes as indicated at 25' in Figs. 4 and 6. The from are converged and welded to'the prow Part I as at ii.

accommodate. the thickness of a reenforcing band I! which is riveted to members 22 and II as at N. A reenforcing plate II is bent around the nose post I andwelded or otherwise secured to the members I! and 2%. The nose shell II is riveted tomembers I3 and il as at II. The irons on each side are connected tos'ether by suitable angle iron braces G3 which are welded at theirendstotheironsfiandf.

- ranged to cooperate As best shown in Fig. 4, the forward ends of the irons 28 are bent upwardly to give clearance beneath the brow. The underside of shell is cut away and the resulting pening is covered by a curved plate 60 held to irons 23 by bolts 6!.

" While I have described in detail a satisfactory and preferred manner of constructing the frame and it will be understood that my invention is not limited to the detailed construction shown.

In its broader aspect my invention comprehendsl any suitably constructed frame radially mnflned within the-tank shell and having its parts arwith wheel mountings \secured to the outside of the tank shell so that the frame within the shell functions as the chassis of the vehicle.

What I claim is:

1. A tank vehicle, in the form of a semi-trailer attachable to a tractor vehicle, comprising a frame including longitudinal members and transverse members. a tank shell telescoped over and radialenclosing said frame, end members closing the ends of the shell, wheel mountings secured to the outside of the shell in line with transverse members of the frame but structurally separated therefrom by the intervening portions of the shell. a porion at least of the longitudinal frame members being extended through the forward end members of the tank and adapted to receive the draft forces applied to the vehicle, said tank shell and enclosed frame comp ng the sole connection between the rear wheel mcemting and the point of attachment to the tractor 2. A tank vehicle in the form of a semi-trailer comprising a shell, a combined chassis and tankframe positioned longitudinally of and radially confined within the tank shell, and wheel tank shell,

The oifsets ID are just sumcient mountings to the shell in position to cooperate with the frame but therefrom by the intervening ons including man said tank shell and enclosed frame comprising the sole connection between the rear wheel gauging and the point of attachment to the end members closing the ends of the shell, spring the ferward end member of the sole connection between the rear wheel mounting and the point of attachment to '4. A tank vehicle inthe form 5. A tank vehicle in the form or a semi-trailer comprising a frame including four longitudinally tank shell telescoped over said frame welded to said plate members, ends of said shell, 'the end members closing HAROLD H. ROEINSON. 

